


Of Love and Tea Leaves

by RejectsCanon



Series: Of Love and Tea Leaves [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a supportive friend, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternative Universe - Tea Shop, Baker!Sokka, Bakery AU, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Humor, I almost cut this off before the date but I decided to keep going, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Tea shop AU, Zuko works in a tea shop and Sokka works in a bakery, back on my bullshit of trying to write short fluffy things and them turning into this, kataang is the stable ship to the mess that is zukka, let them be happy, look at me, my prerequisite tea shop au fic for the zukka ship, or as slow as you can get in a one shot, so yall get the first date, some light cursing, they fall in love, this is zuko we're talking about people of course there is, you can pry the aang and zuko friendship from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25454005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RejectsCanon/pseuds/RejectsCanon
Summary: Zuko has been working at his uncle’s tea shop since it’s opening five years ago. Back then, Zuko had been a moody, quick-tempered, and unbelievably repressed nineteen-year-old who had, up until that point, been trying desperately to please his sorry excuse for a father.Now, after moving in with his uncle, changing his major in college from his father approved law degree to a much more Zuko approved English Lit degree, and a few years of therapy under his belt, Zuko likes to think he’s changed for the better.For the first time in Zuko’s life that he can remember, he’s content in life, and that alone is enough for Zuko.That is, until he meets the cute boy who owns the bakery across the street.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Of Love and Tea Leaves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869442
Comments: 95
Kudos: 1366





	Of Love and Tea Leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again folks, I'm back on my bullshit. Here's my try at the zukka lifeblood that is the tea shop AU. Enjoy!
> 
> Again, not beta-read so any mistakes are my own.
> 
> Edit: This lovely lovely person made a piece of art for this fic! [Look at it here!!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEVUe2mlvl1/)

Zuko has been working at his uncle’s tea shop since it’s opening five years ago. Back then, Zuko had been a moody, quick-tempered, and unbelievably repressed nineteen-year-old who had, up until that point, been trying desperately to please his sorry excuse for a father. 

Now, after moving in with his uncle, changing his major in college from his father approved law degree to a much more Zuko approved English Lit degree, and a few years of therapy under his belt, Zuko likes to think he’s changed for the better. 

He might still be moody sometimes, and quick-tempered when it comes to horrible customers, but at least he’s not a horrifically repressed teen still trying to please his father. Instead, he’s only a slightly repressed twenty-four-year-old who doesn’t give a shit what his dad thinks.

(He does care about what Uncle thinks, though, and Uncle would very much like for Zuko to not be even a little repressed. Zuko’s still working on it.)

So, Zuko’s now graduated college, with a degree he likes even if he doesn’t know what to do with it. He works full time at The Jasmine Dragon while he contemplates what he’s going to be doing with the rest of his life, though he admits he’s not trying very hard to find work elsewhere. (Uncle keeps mentioning that Zuko can take over running the tea shop once he retires. Zuko’s definitely working through his feelings of guilt and inadequacy about that during his therapy sessions with Doctor Piandao.)

For the first time in Zuko’s life that he can remember, he’s content in life, and that alone is enough for Zuko. 

____________

For the most part, Zuko works the front of the house in the shop. Normally, his distaste for and inability to be ‘calm and respectful’ towards unruly customers would make Zuko a terrible front of house employee in any other business. Here, however, Zuko has made it a precedent to deal with all the rude customers himself so the other workers don’t have to deal with it. They don’t get to him the way they get to most people, and most of the time his scar scares them into behaving. The times they don’t behave, Zuko takes great pleasure in shaming them into changing their attitudes, or leaving and never coming back. Zuko has no toleration for customers that think they’re entitled to something just because they’re customers, and he’s quick to shut down any less than pleasant behavior. 

Uncle lets him do it because he doesn’t like those types of people either, he’s just less obvious about it. Plus, with them being in a college town with affordable pricing, high caffeine contents, and free WiFi, the majority of their customer base is young college students who don’t want to be around people like that either. Their other part-time workers are college kids as well, and Zuko will be damned before a customer yells at one of them. 

(Their new recent hire, Aang, is literally sunshine on Earth. Aang got yelled at on his first day on the floor while Zuko was showing him how to use the frothing machine after having some trouble with it. Aang had gone misty-eyed and Zuko had nearly fought the customer right then and there. No way is that happening again.)

(Zuko might have only known Aang for approximately one month, but Zuko has already decided that Aang absolutely needs to be protected, and if it has to be Zuko that does it, then so be it.)

On this particular day, Zuko’s working at the counter with Aang, taking orders and making them, while Aang delivers the drinks to tables, that Zuko notices a lot of the customers coming in with various baked goods. The Jasmine Dragon doesn’t really sell any food, and if they do, it’s from a catering service rather than made in house, so customers coming in with their own food isn’t unusual. What is unusual, is that all of the food seems to be coming from the same place. Zuko spies a logo when he’s taking an order and a girl places her pastry on the counter to pay more easily. 

_Blue Moon Bakery,_ the label reads, with a beautiful illustration of the moon and some cresting waves. Zuko is almost curious enough to ask about it but withholds for now. He knows Aang is almost deadly curious by nature, and is about two customers away from asking himself, so Zuko decides to bide his time. 

Sure enough, once Aang is behind the register again, taking orders while Zuko makes them and calls them out, Aang jumps at the chance to ask the next time the opportunity appears. 

“Excuse me,” he says, all smiles and high energy to the next customer who walks in with a pastry. “Can I ask where you got that? Lots of people have been coming in with things from that place today.”

“Oh, it’s from the new bakery across the street!” the girl says. “They just opened today.”

“Oh, really? That’s so cool!” Aang says. “Zuko, we should go check it out on our lunch break!”

“Maybe,” Zuko tells him. “Finish that order.”

“Oh, right, sorry! It’ll be 2.50 for the medium iced chai. Would you like it for here or to go?”

Zuko completely forgets about it when the rush hour hits, and suddenly the shop is packed full of people. Aang offers to help Zuko take orders and make the drinks, but he’s only worked here a month and isn’t that experienced yet. Besides, rush hour hits when people are getting off of work and it’s one of the only times people other than college students come in, and Zuko can see the anxiety rolling off Aang in waves when people in line start to get impatient. So, Zuko tells him to man the floor, running orders, and clearing tables while Zuko deals with the line. Uncle comes from the back office soon enough to help Zuko makes the drinks, and things go more smoothly. 

Zuko’s warned off three older customers from giving either Uncle or Aang problems and kicked one businessman out by the time the midday rush calms down. By then, Zuko and Aang’s replacements are showing up and Uncle is urging them to take their lunch break and relax for a bit before finishing their shifts. Once in the little breakroom, Zuko throws himself into a chair, already closing his eyes so he can just _shut off_ for the thirty minutes that is their lunch break. 

This doesn’t last long, though, as less than a minute after he sits down, Zuko can feel Aang creeping closer and staring at him.

“What, Aang.” Zuko is refusing to open his eyes for this. 

“Come on, let’s go check out that new bakery! We can get you some much-needed sugar and we can introduce ourselves. It’ll be fun!”

Zuko sighs but knows he’s already going to say yes because he can _sense_ the puppy dog eyes Aang is giving him.

“Fine,” Zuko grumbles, finally opening his eyes and standing up. 

“Yes!” Aang punches the air, grabs Zuko’s hand, and pulls him out to the main floor, tossing a “We’ll be back, Uncle!” over his shoulder. 

Aang pulls Zuko all the way to the bakery, even though Zuko is perfectly capable of walking on his own. The outside of the Blue Moon Bakery is a blue and white building, with its logo proudly hanging above the entrance. When they step inside, Zuko can see that the layout is similar to that of The Jasmine Dragon, with a front space dedicated to an order station and a large bakery display. A few tables were scattered around the rest of the room, making space for customers to sit and enjoy their pastries. Right now, there are only a few people sitting down and there’s one worker behind the register. 

Aang takes one look at the girl behind the register and Zuko knows he’s infatuated by the way Aang’s eyes widen, his jaw drops, and his cheeks redden. The girl has long, dark brown hair pulled back in a braid, with some loose strands falling out and framing her face. Her blue uniform sets off the tone of her skin, and even Zuko has to admit that even though he is very gay, the girl is very pretty. Zuko fights to stop himself from laughing at the awestruck look on Aang’s face and quietly resigns himself to more joint trips to the bakery. 

“Hi,” the girl says. “Welcome to the Blue Moon Bakery!”

Aang still seems stuck in his awe of the girl, so Zuko decides to save him just this once. 

“Hey,” Zuko says back, giving her a small smile so he doesn’t look quite so angry. “Do you mind if we look at what’s here before we order?”

“Of course, go right ahead. If you have questions, feel free to ask.” Zuko nods and heads over to the display case, looking around at the different treats. Aang seems to have recovered enough, because he bounces over to Zuko, keeping his eyes on the girl. 

“Hi there,” he says, his voice cracks a bit in his excitement and Zuko has to muffle a laugh. “We work at the tea shop across the street and thought we’d come to check this place out. Our customers told us today was the opening day!”

“Oh cool!” the girl says. “My name’s Katara. My brother and I own the place, and yeah, today’s our first day.”

“That’s amazing,” Aang says, going wide-eyed again. “I’m Aang, and this is Zuko. Zuko’s uncle owns The Jasmine Dragon.” 

Zuko lets Aang chat with Katara some more while he browses the pastries, eyes drawn to the curd puffs that look really good actually. Zuko wanders back over to Aang, who’s pointing at one of the tarts.

“Are those egg custard tarts?” Aang asks.

“Yup,” Katara says. “Looks like we only have lemon and raspberry left, though.”

Before Aang can open his mouth and ask for one of each, Zuko cuts in with, “You’re only allowed to have one sugary pastry. You’re hyper enough as it is.” 

Katara laughs softly at the dramatic pout Aang shoots at Zuko, which causes the kid to blush a little, but Zuko holds firm. The last thing he needs to deal with when they get back is Aang on a sugar high and then his inevitable sugar crash. 

“Can I get one for now and one for later?” Aang asks when he sees that Zuko has made up his mind. Zuko narrows his eyes a little, assessing Aang. He folds his hands under his chin and makes his lower lip wobble a bit, and damn it, Zuko is only so strong. 

“Fine,” he says, throwing up his hands. “Get two. How many of the curd puffs come in an order?” Zuko asks Katara. 

Katara still seems to be trying to control her laughter, but answers with a “Four per order.”

“Can we get two orders of the curd puffs, and one of each of the tarts, please? To go, if you can, We have to be back at The Jasmine Dragon soon.” Zuko asks, heading to the register and pulling out his wallet. 

“Sure thing,” Katara says happily, putting the pastries into a box. 

“Do I get an order of curd puffs?” Aang asks cheekily, coming up next to Zuko.

“No, the second order is for Uncle,” Zuko says. Aang starts to pout again so Zuko mentally gives up on not dealing with Aang and a sugar high. “I’ll share with you, but I want to taste the raspberry tart.”

“Deal!” Aang says, taking the offered box of treats from Katara. 

“12.75, please,” Katara says once she rings the order in. Zuko hands her a twenty and drops his change in the tip jar next to the register. 

“It was nice to meet you guys,” Katara says as they make to leave. 

“It was great meeting you!” Aang says cheerfully, waving a hand. 

Zuko nods in agreement, saying, “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon. Thanks, Katara.”

They walk back to The Jasmine Dragon in relative silence, with Zuko telling Aang to wait until they get back to the shop to eat his tart. Once their inside, Aang practically runs back into the breakroom, while Zuko walks at a slower pace, just to annoy Aang. On the way, Zuko drops off the small bag of curd puffs to Uncle in his office. 

“Here,” Zuko says. “From the new bakery across the street. I haven’t tried them yet, but we’d better hope they’re good. I think Aang is in love with one of the owners.”

“Oh, really?” Uncle laughs. “Thank you for the treat, nephew.”

Zuko nods, heading back to the breakroom where Aang is waiting for him impatiently. Zuko smirks at him. 

“I think I’m in love, Zuko,” Aang says dramatically, falling down into his chair. 

“Let’s go with ‘like’ for now,” Zuko says, pulling out the raspberry tart and bag of curd puffs. “At least, until you get to know her more.”

“I guess,” Aang sighs, taking a bite of the tart. “Oh, my god, Zuko. This is amazing.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow, tasting one of the curd puffs. “Hmmm,” Zuko says, pleasantly surprised. “Yeah, these are pretty good.”

“Uncle’s gonna love them,” Aang says through his full mouth. “Do you think I can get on both Uncle’s _and_ Katara’s good sides if I keep buying more treats?”

“You’re already on his good side, Aang. Stop trying to give him sugar, he’s old,” Zuko warns. “And stop calling him ‘Uncle’, he’s your boss.”

“But he said I could call him Uncle,” Aang whines. “You just don’t wanna share your cool, mentally stable uncle. I need a cool, mentally stable adult figure, too, ya know.” 

Zuko lets out a put upon sigh but doesn’t bother to hide his smile when he walks out of the breakroom. (He does ignore Aang’s victorious cry, though, he can’t let the kid have everything). 

Later, after the shop is mostly empty and Zuko has allowed Aang to eat his second tart to hopefully give him some more energy to act against the upcoming sugar crash, the door to the tea shop opens to reveal the most beautiful man that Zuko’s ever seen. 

The man has dark skin, offset by his blue clothing that looks vaguely familiar. His brown hair is pulled into a short ponytail, showing off sharp features. As the man gets closer to the register, the more Zuko is overcome with how outright _pretty_ this person is. He stops in front of the register, and Zuko is suddenly lost in how brilliantly blue his eyes are. 

“Hey, there,” he says. “I’m Sokka. You two must be Zuko and Aang, right?”

Zuko opens his mouth to respond, but no words come out. His throat feels like it’s closed up, his heart is beating way too fast, and Zuko isn’t even sure he’s breathing anymore. 

“Yup,” Aang comes to his rescue. “I’m Aang, he’s Zuko. You look a lot like Katara so I’m guessing you’re the brother she mentioned?”

_Oh, that makes sense,_ Zuko’s frazzled brain thinks. _They’re wearing the same uniform. And they do look a lot alike._

“Yeah, she told me that two people who work in the tea shop across the street came by to introduce themselves, so I thought I’d do the same.”

“Nice to meet you!” Aang says, holding his hand out for Sokka to shake, which he does enthusiastically. _Smart kid,_ Zuko has the presence of mind to think. _Making nice with the brother._ “What do you do in the bakery? We didn’t see you when we came by earlier.”

_No, we most certainly did not, I would’ve remembered that._

“I do the baking, so I was in the back when you guys were there.”

“You do the baking?” Zuko’s traitorous mouth decides to blurt out. Sokka turns his gaze to him and Zuko feels his face flush hotly. 

“Yup!” Sokka says, smiling proudly. “I do the baking and Katara does the business stuff.”

“Oh, cool,” Zuko barely manages to get out. Now that Sokka has turned the full force of his smile on Zuko, it’s like Zuko’s brain has decided to halt all function and Zuko is hardly able to _breathe_ properly, let alone _think_. Aang is looking back and forth between the two of them, a wicked smile growing on his face. Zuko only has half a moment to panic before Aang is speaking again. 

“You must be a really talented baker. The things we tried today were great,” Aang shoots Zuko a sly look, and Zuko knows the panic shows on his face. “Zuko thought the curd puffs were really good. We can’t wait to come back.” 

“Oh, really?” Sokka asks, turning to Zuko again and leaning on the counter a little bit. He has this smug little smile on his face and Zuko feels his breath catch at the change in proximity. “The curd puffs are one of my favorites to make, I’m glad you liked them.”

“Oh,” Zuko stutters out. “Um, yeah, they were really good. Reminded me of when I was a kid.”

_That_ makes Sokka’s smile turn all soft and sweet, and Zuko would be kicking himself for saying that, but _holy hell_ is that a cute smile. Zuko’s pretty sure he’ll tell Sokka anything to make him look like that. He can’t help but return the smile, either, Zuko’s lips pulling up into a small smile seemingly without his own permission. 

“Well, then, I’m glad it brought up some good feelings. You should come by in the morning sometime, when they’re freshly made.” Sokka says. He’s still got that soft smile on his face, and if he doesn’t look away soon, Zuko’s racing heart is going to turn straight into a heart attack. He’s too young to have a heart attack, so Sokka needs to stop looking at him immediately. 

“Yeah,” he finds himself saying, still smiling stupidly at Sokka. “Yeah, next time I’m around in the morning, I’ll stop by.” 

Just then, the bell above the door jingles, making Zuko jump as a customer walks in. 

“Right, anyway,” Sokka says, turning away from the counter and heading towards the door. “I guess I’ll see you guys around!” 

“You bet!” Aang calls out, waving goodbye. Zuko catches Sokka’s eye one last time and Sokka waves before leaving the shop. 

Zuko greets the customer, taking their order and making the drink, gratified when they decide to get it to go rather than staying. Once the customer is out the door, and Aang and Zuko are alone in the shop, Zuko lets himself groan loudly and bury his head in his hands, leaning against the counter.

“I think I’m in love, Aang.”

“Let’s go with ‘like’,” Aang says, patting Zuko on the shoulder. “At least, until you get to know him more.” 

____________

“So, how’d it go?” Katara asks when Sokka gets back to the bakery. Sokka collapses into one of the chairs across from her, sighing dramatically. 

“You were right,” he says. “He’s gorgeous and cute, and sweet, and shy. Oh, my god, Katara, how can one person be so cute?”

“I told you he was your type, didn’t I?” Katara says smugly.

“Well, yeah, but I wasn’t expecting that! He was so cute! He was all blushy and adorable and smiling all cute. There’s no way I can handle that.”

“Poor baby,” Katara pouts at him. “Can’t handle being around a cute boy.”

“Oh, yeah? What about you? Did you not notice how much _you_ were blushing when you told me about that other kid who came in? I talked to him a little bit, he mentioned you.”

Katara freezes from where she’s wiping down the counter, starting to clean up so they can close up shop soon. “What did he say?” she asks with fake calm. 

“I guess you’ll never know,” Sokka teases as he walks into the kitchen to start cleaning up his own section. 

If there’s one thing Sokka knows for sure, though, it’s that he needs to see Zuko again soon.

____________

Zuko is a coward. 

Zuko is a cowardly coward who cannot bring himself to be near the cute boy again, even though the cute boy explicitly asked him to come by the bakery. He just knows that if he goes and sees Sokka again, he’s going to make an even bigger fool of himself. 

Aang, on the other hand, is not a coward. He’s gone to the bakery on his own three times this past month to see and talk to Katara. Katara herself also doesn’t seem to be a coward, as she’s come to The Jasmine Dragon a few times herself to see Aang. Zuko enjoys making small talk with her when she and Aang aren’t too busy flirting outrageously with each other. 

(And if she tells Zuko once that the only reason Sokka hasn’t come to The Jasmine Dragon himself is that he spends all of his breaks tweaking and altering recipes, well then Zuko doesn’t find that charming at all. If she also mentions that Sokka’s favorite tea happens to be a strong peppermint with honey instead of sugar, then Zuko _definitely_ doesn’t file that information away for later.)

Still, Zuko has steadfastly refused to go with Aang to the bakery each time he asks Zuko to go with him, making up increasingly ridiculous excuses. And each time, Aang comes back a little more love-struck and wide-eyed by Katara. 

“You were right about having to get to know her,” Aang breathes out dreamily about a month after their first meeting. “The more I talk to her, the more I like her. She’s really smart, and not just when it comes to running the bakery, either. She told me she thought about becoming a doctor for a while, and even started to go through all the schooling for a few years, but decided it wasn’t for her.”

“Hmm, it does take a certain amount of self-awareness to know when something isn’t right for you,” Uncle cuts in from across the shop. “This young lady sounds very wise.”

“Right! And she’s really nice, too,” Aang continues. “She looks out for everyone in the bakery and makes sure they’re doing okay. Kind of like you, Zuko. Plus, she always remembers the little things we talk about and doesn’t seem to care when I get distracted by other things.”

“So she fits your personality pretty well, then?” Zuko asks. “You two seem to get along really well.”

“I think so, yeah.”

“So when are you gonna ask her out?”

“Zuko! I’ve barely known her a month! Yeah, I like her a lot and all, but I think I need to wait longer than a month before asking her out.”

“If you say so.”

Unfortunately, with each one of Aang’s visits to the bakery, he also gets a little more teasing towards Zuko. 

Case in point, right now. Zuko’s in the breakroom, having just finished his shift, and is gathering up his things before he leaves, and chatting with Aang who’d just arrived for his part-time evening shift. 

“You know,” Aang says slyly while Zuko’s digging through the fridge for what’s left of the food he’d brought. “Sokka’s wondering when you’re gonna come to the bakery.”

“Oh, really?” Zuko responds trying to appear uninterested. He finds his lunch bag, pulling out the bowl of pasta he hadn’t ended up eating. “Did you bring food? Do you want this pasta? There’s no meat in it.”

“Oooh, yes please,” Aang says, grabbing the bowl from Zuko. “But don’t distract me! I told him you haven’t come in yet cause you haven’t been opening in the mornings and haven’t found the time.”

“I’m not distracting you, I’m making sure you’re fed,” Zuko argues. “But thanks for making excuses for me so I don’t seem like a jerk.” 

“I _did_ tell him that you really liked those cheesecake bites I brought you the other day,” Aang says teasingly. “He seemed really happy that you liked them. Wanted me to tell you again that you’re welcome anytime.”

“Aang,” Zuko whines, sinking down into a chair and thunking his head on the table. “I really can’t go in there with the intention of talking to him. He’s too pretty and I’m too awkward.”

“Zuko,” Aang says, suddenly serious. “I don’t think you realize how great you are. You care so much about people, and you feel so hard, even if you pretend you don’t. You’re smart, and funny, and protective over the people you care about, and are super badass. And trust me, you’re not as awkward as you think you are.”

Aang’s eyes are wide and earnest, and his face is so determined and heartfelt, that Zuko feels himself go all soft and warm inside. Aang might be a little bit reckless and immature at times, but he always knows how to get right to the heart of things. 

“Language,” Zuko warns halfheartedly. “But thanks, Aang. I’m opening tomorrow, maybe I’ll be able to talk myself into going by then.”

Aang rushes over, throwing his arms around Zuko and pulling him into a hug. “I really think you should. And who knows, maybe you two will just end up being friends. There’s no need for you to put all this pressure on yourself just because you think he’s cute.”

“When did you get so wise?” Zuko mumbles, resigning himself to the hug for the time being. “But, yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“See! You just needed a little encouragement,” Aang cheers, pulling Zuko tighter. 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Zuko finally says, gently pushing Aang away. “Get out on the floor. You’re shift started five minutes ago.”

Aang laughs, but releases Zuko. He drops his bag on the counter of the breakroom, puts the pasta Zuko gave him back in the fridge for when he has his break, ties his apron on, and heads out onto the main floor. 

“He’s right, you know,” Uncle says once Aang has left the breakroom. 

“Right about what, exactly?” Zuko asks, taking a seat next to him. 

“You’re putting too much pressure on yourself for what, for all intents and purposes, is a simple meeting.”

Zuko sighs, looking down and fiddling with a loose string on his jacket. “I know,” he says. “I just can’t help it. By this point, I’ve put it off so long that it almost _has_ to be something big now. And Aang really likes Katara, and you both like the bakery, so if I mess this up, it messes a lot of things up.”

“Again, my dear nephew, you are thinking much too hard about this,” Uncle says gently, putting an arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “Things in life happen, and people get busy. It’s not that odd for you to not have visited a business that you have no real attachment to. There is nothing for you to ‘mess up’. Say you go to speak with this young man, and you two don’t really match in personality. So be it. Things go back to normal with nothing changes. But you won’t know unless you try.”

“But Aang would be so sad if things didn’t turn out very good.”

“I believe Aang would only be upset _for_ you, not _at_ you. You and Aang are very similar in that you both feel very strongly for your friends. Amongst your other worries, you are afraid to make things more difficult for Aang. Aang only wants you to use this opportunity to make a new friend, or maybe something more. He wants you to share in his newfound happiness.”

“What do you mean ‘amongst my other worries’? Is worrying about Aang not enough?” Zuko asks, even though he doesn’t really want Uncle to answer.

“You know very well what I mean, and you don’t need me to say it aloud,” Uncle says softly. 

“I guess,” Zuko concedes, keeping his head down. Uncle’s arm tightens around his shoulders for a moment, offering silent comfort. 

What Zuko is most afraid of whenever it comes to meeting new people, is being rejected, or judged. He knows what he looks like. He knows his scar isn’t nice to look at; it takes up nearly half of his face and twists his expression into something harsh. He knows people usually take one look at him and decide that he’s scary and mean, and he can’t exactly blame them. And Zuko knows that the way he acts most of the time doesn’t necessarily dissuade them from thinking those things. He uses his looks and people’s natural caution around him to his advantage to make people leave him alone. 

And he knows Sokka has already technically seen his scar and his face, and still spoke to him like nothing was different about him. But he also knows that Sokka only spoke to him for a few minutes, and hasn’t seen him for weeks since then. 

“It’s just hard, sometimes,” Zuko whispers. “To go meet new people, no matter how nice they might be. It doesn’t make it any easier that Aang swears he’s nice and won’t judge, it doesn’t make it easier that he’s already technically met me and has _seen_ it.”

“I understand why you are nervous, Zuko,” Uncle whispers back just as quiet as Zuko. “You have not had an easy time of it in life, but perhaps this may be good for. Maybe you’ll just turn out to be good friends, maybe you won’t be friends at all. Or it could turn into something wonderful. But anyway it turns out, let yourself have the opportunity.” 

____________

_Just let yourself have the opportunity_ , Zuko keeps repeating to himself the next morning. Zuko arrived at The Jasmine Dragon early on a Friday morning, preparing to open up the shop. When Zuko arrives, he looks across the street and can see that Blue Moon Bakery has its lights on, though it doesn’t seem that anyone is there yet. Zuko stares and contemplates for a moment longer before coming to a decision. 

(His decision is not at all influenced by the encouraging words from Uncle last night, or the late night text from Aang, or the frantic text conversation he’d had with Doctor Piandao as soon as he’d gotten home yesterday.)

Zuko sets about readying most things in the tea shop, setting up tables, opening up the bathrooms, and preparing the various more popular teas to be ready for brewing. The shop isn’t set to open for another hour, and usually, the rest of this time is set aside for preparing the register and making sure everything is clean and organized. But, Jin was the one who closed last night, and if there’s one thing Jin is when it comes to her work, it’s thorough. So, Zuko feels comfortable enough to put some things off for the time being and hyping himself up to visit the Blue Moon Bakery. 

Zuko brews a quick pot of peppermint tea, pours it into two to-go cups, adds honey to one, makes sure all the stovetops are off, and leaves The Jasmine Dragon. Zuko locks the door behind him, takes a look at the time on his phone, sees that he still has forty-five minutes until he’s supposed to open, and starts walking towards the bakery. 

It’s kind of cold this morning, the chilly fall air biting at Zuko’s nose as he walks the short way, and Zuko attempts to burrow in his sweater in an attempt to escape the cold. Zuko hesitates once more when he finds himself at the door of the bakery, and almost makes himself turn around. 

Zuko takes a deep breath, tells himself, _let yourself have the opportunity_ , and pushes open the door. 

The bell above the entrance jingles, signaling his arrival. Zuko was right about no one being here, as there are no customers at the tables, and there’s not even anyone behind the register yet. The lights are on, but dim, and for a moment, Zuko thinks the shop is still closed before a voice calls out from the back: 

“I’ll be right with you!” 

Zuko recognizes the voice as belonging to Sokka and feels his heart start to beat faster. Not a moment later, Sokka comes out from a door obviously leading to the kitchen. He’s wearing the same blue and white uniform as before, and his hair is in the same style, and for all intents and purposes, looks the same as the first time Zuko saw him. 

Zuko still thinks he’s the prettiest person he’s ever seen. 

“Zuko!” Sokka says, a smile lighting up his face, and Zuko’s own mouth smiles automatically in response. “I’m so happy you finally stopped by.”

“Sorry I haven’t come by before,” Zuko can’t stop himself from saying. “A lot has been going on lately.”

“Hey, no need to apologize, I get it,” Sokka reassures him, coming out from behind the counter to stand a bit closer to Zuko. “Aang mentioned you’ve been pretty busy. Is everything alright? Nothing bad’s been happening, I hope.”

“No, things are a little better now,” Zuko says. The look of genuine concern on Sokka’s face makes Zuko want to spill his guts, but he forces himself to hold back. He makes an aborted motion to run his hand through his hair, and remembers the cups in his hands. 

“Oh, I brought some tea,” Zuko says, awkwardly holding out the cup. “Katara mentioned once that peppermint was your favorite, so I figured if I was gonna show up this early, I might as well bring some caffeine.”

Sokka’s eyes light up a bit, and he eagerly takes the proffered cup. “Oh, thank you!” he says. “I’ve wanted to come and try the tea for a while. Katara’s always raving about how good it is.”

“Well, I guess we can both be forgiven for taking so long to go to each other’s businesses,” Zuko tries to joke, now with a free hand, Zuko’s able to indulge himself in rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sokka laughs softly and nods his head in agreement. “Deal,” he says. “All is forgiven.” Sokka takes a sip of the tea and Zuko only has a second to anticipate his reaction before Sokka is humming appreciatively. 

“This is really good,” he says. “Like, I know it’s tea but it tastes so much better than regular tea.”

“Thanks,” Zuko says as he feels a blush crawling up his cheeks. “It’s nothing really special. Like I said, I remembered Katara saying what kind of tea is your favorite, so I just made it how I would’ve in the shop.”

“Well if this is how it’s regularly made I might have to come and try some other kinds.” Zuko feels his blush burn a little hotter, and struggles to find a way to respond, but Sokka moves right along, saying, “Hey, you wanna come into the kitchen? I was working on making a few last-minute things just now.”

“Oh, is that okay? I don’t want to be a bother if you’re busy,” Zuko says, already backing up a bit. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have offered if it was a bother,” Sokka smiles at him again, and motions for Zuko to follow as he makes his way back into the kitchen. Zuko takes another deep breath, and he follows Sokka into the kitchen. 

The kitchen itself is fairly big, with large counters all along the walls, a few industrial ovens and stoves, and some other baking equipment. The kitchen is bright and open and is full of wonderful smells. Sokka catches Zuko looking around and opens his arms proudly. 

“Pretty cool, right? I got to design it myself.”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Zuko says, still looking around. “It’s bigger than it looks from the outside.”

“It’s all in the lighting,” Sokka jokes, setting his tea down and going over to one of the fridges, pulling out a bowl of some kind of filling. “Here, the tart crusts are still in the oven, but the curd puffs have been cooling long enough to fill them without the filling melting. You can try them now that they’re fresh.”

Zuko had moved to lean against one of the father walls but moved forward when Sokka motioned for him to take the bowl from his hands. Once Zuko takes the bowl, Sokka goes over to one of the back counters, grabbing the tray of puffs and bringing them over to a counter closer to Zuko. 

“You sure?” Zuko asks. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

“Nonsense,” Sokka says, filling a piping bag with the filling. “You came all the way here _and_ brought me great tasting tea. The least I can do is give you some treats.”

Zuko decides not to argue, partly because he actually really wants some of the curd puffs and partly because he has no interest in arguing with Sokka. The two are silent for a few minutes while Zuko watches Sokka fill the curd puffs with the filling, transferring them to a different tray as he goes. 

“Your uncle owns The Jasmine Dragon, right? That’s what Katara said, at least.” Sokka asks.

“Yeah, we’ve lived here for a pretty long time, and my uncle opened the shop five years ago now,” Zuko responds. “I moved in with my uncle when I was in college, and have been helping out since it opened. Once I graduated I started working there full time.”

“That’s awesome that you guys have been there for so long already,” Sokka says. “I’ve only lived in town for two years. I finished my degree here, and I liked the town so I decided to stay. Katara moved in with me last year and that’s when we started working on opening up the bakery.”

“And you guys managed to do it in a year? That’s really impressive,” Zuko says, honestly impressed. 

“Ah, it was a mixture of hard work and good luck between the two of us,” Sokka brushes off. 

“Still,” Zuko maintains for a moment before deciding to let it go. “What did you study if you ended up opening a bakery?”

“Engineering.”

Zuko looks up from where he’d been watching Sokka handle the pastries, confusion, and a little bit of skepticism written on his face. Sokka laughs, and Zuko feels his face go a little slack because _damn, that’s a nice laugh._

“Yeah I know, baking and engineering don’t really seem to correlate. But hey, they say that baking is a science, and I’m good at both. So I figured, why not.”

“So how did you start baking if you studied engineering?” Zuko asks, genuinely curious. Sokka looks a bit caught off guard by the question, so Zuko backtracks, saying, “Of course, you don’t have to answer if it’s personal. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Sokka says, though he still looks a bit nervous. “It’s just that, not many people ask. Let me figure out how to answer it right.”

Sokka’s quiet for a moment while he gathers his thoughts, and Zuko watches him flit around the kitchen, seemingly knowing instinctively when things are done and what to do next. It’s fascinating to watch, and Zuko is almost startled when Sokka starts speaking again. 

“My mom used to bake a lot,” he says, voice quiet and… somber? Sad? Sokka doesn’t sound happy anymore and Zuko doesn’t like it. “Like, full-on baked her own bread and everything. Katara and I used to help her, and it was always fun. Bonding time with our mom, ya know.” 

Sokka stops, takes a deep breath. “Then she died.”

Zuko can’t stop his small gasp, “Oh, god. I’m so sorry.”

Sokka looks over at him, a wry smile on his face. “It’s alright, it was a long time ago. We’ve recovered as much as we ever will.”

“Still,” Zuko moves a bit closer to Sokka, nudges his arm. “Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me. I know it’s hard, and it’s not just something you tell everyone you meet.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sokka’s smile turns a bit more genuine, and he nudges Zuko’s arm back. “Anyway, after that, none of us baked again for a really long time. Then, when we were teenagers, Katara and I found her old box of recipes, and we decided to try again. Our Gran helped us, but Katara was absolutely terrible,” Sokka laughed. 

“But, turns out I wasn’t bad at it. Probably cause of the whole, gotta follow a recipe and be exact thing. Katara was never good at that kind of stuff. So, I kept at it. It started as a way to remember our mom, but it kind of evolved into something I really liked doing.”

“So,” Sokka laughs, shaking himself. “Engineering degree turned into opening a bakery. Who would’ve thought.”

“Well, we’re certainly grateful,” Zuko says, trying to lighten up a bit. “You guys have definitely improved the vibe of this little shopping area.” 

It may have been a weak attempt at humor, but Sokka laughs nonetheless. “Well, that was a bit of a downer,” Sokka says, throwing back the rest of his tea. “Your turn. How’d you end up working in your uncle’s tea shop? It’s gotta be less depressing than my story.”

“Oh, well, um,” Zuko stutters a bit, caught off guard. 

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me,” Sokka says. “I don’t mean to pressure you or anything.”

“No, you’re not. I guess no one’s ever asked me that before either.” Sokka nods his understanding, moving to take both of their empty cups and tossing them. 

“I guess it took a specific set of circumstances for me to end up with my uncle. My father had never been the nicest person, in his work life and to his family, but it got really bad after my mom left. It all kind of came to a head when I was nineteen; something happened, and I couldn’t stay with him anymore. My uncle took me and my sister in and we moved around for a few years before settling here. My sister stayed with her friends in the last city we were in, but I stayed with our uncle. Got a degree in English because I thought it would be fun, and also piss off my father on some cosmic level since we haven’t seen him in years.” Zuko lets out a huge breath once he’s finished.

“Shit, man,” Sokka says once Zuko is quiet for a moment. “Seems like we’re both a bit fucked up.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. A few years of therapy and working in a calming tea shop does wonders though.”

Sokka lets out a slightly hysterical laugh before moving to take some other kind of pastry out of an oven. “Sorry your dad’s a piece of shit,” Sokka says bluntly.

“Sorry your mom died,” Zuko says just as bluntly.

“Want a cupcake?”

“Yes, please.”

Sokka walks over to one of the fridges, pulling out a small tray of cupcakes, setting it next to Zuko, and picking up two chocolate cupcakes, handing one to Zuko. They eat the cupcakes in silence, both lost in their own thoughts, it seems. 

“This is a really good cupcake,” Zuko says, licking a bit of frosting off a finger. Zuko watches Sokka’s eyes follow his hand and thinks _no fucking way_ , before Sokka shakes himself out of it.

“Oh, thanks,” he responds. 

Before Zuko can think of anything to say after that, his phone goes off, alarm blaring. Startled, Zuko gasps, pulling out his phone to see his ten-minute reminder of opening The Jasmine Dragon is going off. 

“Oh, shit,” Zuko says, standing up straight and turning the alarm off. “I have to finish opening. We’re supposed to be open in like, ten minutes.”

Sokka’s eyes widen and he follows Zuko out of the kitchen and into the main area. Zuko’s about to leave, turning around to say goodbye, when Sokka puts a hand on his arm, saying, “Here, wait a sec, I’ll give you some stuff to take to the shop.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Zuko tries to say, but Sokka is already heading back in the kitchen. Zuko waits awkwardly for a minute, before Sokka comes back out, box in hand. 

“Here, some tarts, curd puffs, and croissants,” Sokka says handing Zuko the box. 

“Well, let me pay for it,” Zuko says, pulling out his wallet. 

“Nope, on the house,” Sokka refuses. 

“Oh, come on, this is a lot of stuff,” Zuko argues. 

“Call it the beginning of a deal, then,” Sokka says. “How about, whenever you open we meet up, have some tea and breakfast. I open every day to get some baking done. Plus, Aang and Katara hang out all the time, it’s our turn.”

“A few cups of tea don’t seem even for all this,” Zuko says, still unsure. 

“Well, this is just to get you coming back,” Sokka says, shooting him a blinding smile, and well. Zuko’s done for. 

“Alright, deal,” Zuko says. “Next time I open I’ll be here. But I kind of really have to go now, so I’ll see you soon, Sokka.”

“Bye, Zuko,” Sokka waves as Zuko leaves the bakery.

Zuko makes his way back to The Jasmine Dragon in a bit of a haze. For all that Zuko built up a meeting with Sokka in his head, the reality was better than he’d hoped for. In some part of his mind, Zuko knew he was probably overreacting, but he couldn’t help himself. Actually spending time with Sokka, though, was maybe one of the most at ease Zuko had felt. 

When Zuko meets new people, he’s normally very on guard. The only exception to this rule so far had been Aang, and Zuko was tempted not to count that because Zuko doesn’t think _anyone_ would ever be on guard around Aang. Now, though, with Sokka, Zuko felt much the same. Regardless of his initial wariness, Zuko hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all around him. Part of Zuko wants to believe that it’s too good to be true, to feel immediately comfortable around someone, but a larger part of Zuko wants to believe, just this once, that things can be good for him. 

_Look at me, trying to be positive,_ Zuko thinks. _Uncle and Doctor Piandao would be so proud._

Zuko gets to The Jasmine Dragon fairly quickly, letting himself in and hurriedly getting things ready. He sets the box of bakery goods on a table in the breakroom, turning on all the lights in the shop, and readies the register for the day. After setting up a few last-minute things, Zuko flips the sign to ‘open’ and mentally prepares for his shift. 

Since today is Friday, the shop will probably be a bit busy, but not too bad. Aang doesn’t have class on Fridays, so he’ll come in for his shift at nine to cover Zuko’s first break. Uncle will probably come in around the same time, and it will be the three of them until Jin and one of the others comes in for the evening shift. Until then, though, Zuko’s alone with the occasional customer and his thoughts. 

Time passes fairly quickly once customers start appearing more regularly now that it’s not so early in the morning. A fair amount of their regulars have arrived, laden with laptops and backpacks now that midterm season is upon them. Zuko doesn’t have any problems with rowdy customers, and when Aang shows up ten minutes before his shift starts, Zuko’s in a decently positive mood. 

“Hey, Zuko,” Aang greets as he walks in. 

“Good morning, Aang.”

Aang comes behind the counter, not yet going into the back. “How have things been this morning?”

“Alright, not too busy,” Zuko responds. And then, casually, “There’s stuff from the bakery in the breakroom. I put the tarts in the fridge, but the other stuff is on the table. The croissants are really good.”

Aang does a double-take, staring at Zuko with wide eyes. “You went this morning?” he asks, voice high in his excitement. 

“Yeah,” Zuko says, trying for casual indifference, but not able to keep the smile off his face. 

“Well, how’d it go?” Aang grabs a hold of Zuko’s arm and shakes him slightly when Zuko takes a moment to answer. Zuko snorts at him, pulling his arm away.

“You guys were right,” he says quietly. “There was no reason for me to be so worried about it. It was really nice.”

Aang throws his arms around Zuko’s middle, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Aang!” Zuko says in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. The few customers that are in there barely pay them any attention, used to Aang’s outbursts of affection. 

“I’m serious,” Aang says from where his head is buried in Zuko’s shoulder. “I know I joke and tease, but I get that things like this are hard for you. So, I’m happy that you put yourself out of your comfort zone and did it, and I’m happy it turned out well.”

“Well, thanks, I guess,” Zuko mumbles, not able to fight off his blush. “Now go clock in and get ready for your shift.”

“Yes, sir!” Aang says, pulling away with a mock salute before heading to the back. 

The rest of the day, Aang keeps shooting him these happy looks, and each time Zuko has to fight down another blush. Once Uncle shows up, and Aang recounts the news, Uncle joins in, sending Zuko these proud little smiles that make Zuko’s insides feel all warm and funny. 

When they’re alone during Zuko’s lunch break, Uncle sits next to him and says softly, “I am proud of you, Zuko.”

“All I did was go talk to him, it’s not a big deal,” Zuko mumbles, embarrassed. 

“It may seem simple, but it was something that was very difficult for you, and made you very anxious. Yet, you did it anyway. And for that, for doing something even though it was difficult, I am very proud of you.”

“Hm,” Zuko huffs, still feeling a blush hot on his cheeks, but smiles at Uncle a bit. “Thanks.”

____________

After that, a dam seems to break when it comes to Zuko and Sokka hanging out. Anytime Zuko opens The Jasmine Dragon, which is pretty often, he goes a little bit earlier so he can head over to Blue Moon Bakery, where he brings Sokka tea and Sokka gives him different breakfast foods, and they talk for about an hour before Zuko has to go finish opening. 

(“I’m just saying, this shopping strip is so weird. We’ve got a tea shop, a bakery, a Tessenjustu dojo run by the scariest group of girls I’ve ever met in my life, and Hung Gar kung fu dojo run by a blind girl who I honestly think could kill me and no one would ever find my body. What even is this shopping center?” Sokka is saying. 

“Eh, you get used to it,” Zuko replies around his breakfast croissant. 

“What do you mean ‘you get used to it’?” Sokka exclaims. “I was walking to my car the other day and watched one of the girls from Kyoshi Island kicking some guy’s ass outside the dojo. I thought I was gonna get my ass kicked by proxy of just being close.”

“I’m sure the guy deserved it, Suki only ever lets the girls kick someone’s ass if they’re being gross and pervy or otherwise inappropriate.”

“Yes, I’m sure he deserved it, but it was still scary. I’m too young to die,” Sokka shudders in exaggeration.

“You just have to get on their good sides, and they won’t hurt you, don’t worry,” Zuko tries to assure him. 

“How am I supposed to do that? How did you do it?” he asks.

“Well, we give Suki and the other girls this tea that helps relax your muscles. They use it during their cooldowns to avoid muscle cramps. We offered the same one to Toph, too, but she asked for a tea that gives you more energy so she could ‘push her students harder’.”

“Zuko, what the hell, that’s actually terrifying.”)

Not only that, but Sokka starts coming over to The Jasmine Dragon on his breaks, sitting at the counter, talking to Zuko and trying out different teas. He meets Uncle, and of course, the two of them hit it off. For a while, Zuko’s afraid he’s going to lose Sokka to Uncle once Sokka reveals that he loves playing Pai Sho and Uncle starts challenging him to games. Eventually, they have to concede their games because they realize they can’t get into the flow of the game when Sokka has to keep leaving and go back to the bakery for the rest of his shift. 

(“Here, try this one. It’s a turmeric and rose blend. It’s supposed to help with anxiety and stress relief,” Zuko says, placing a cup in front of Sokka.

Sokka takes a cautious sip and immediately makes a face. 

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Zuko defends. 

“Zuko, this is actually disgusting. Who in their right mind thought rose would be good in tea.”

***

“How about this? It’s matcha and ginger. Nice and simple,” Zuko tries another day.

Sokka tries it and though he doesn’t make a face this time, he doesn’t end up finishing it, either. 

“It wasn’t as bad as the other one,” he says. “But the matcha was a bit too strong for my taste.”

***

“Here,” Zuko says another day, carelessly pushing a cup towards Sokka. “I give up. Peppermint with honey, nice and simple and boring, just how you like it. Uncle can force different teas on you from now on.”

Sokka happily takes the cup, holding it close and breathing in the steam with a smile. 

“Thanks, Zuko,” he says. “I’m sorry my tea taste isn’t eclectic enough for you, but damn do you make a good cup of peppermint tea.”

Zuko grumbles good-naturedly, and he turns away from Sokka to hopefully hide his blush at the compliment.)

The more time Zuko spends with Sokka, the more he realizes how much he likes the other boy. Sokka is smart, clever, funny, and kind in a way that makes Zuko feel all kinds of things. Sokka has this kind of emotional intelligence that makes him a great people person, able to read people and offer them the exact kind of kindness they need, even from a small interaction of buying a pastry. Zuko’s only a little jealous of his people skills. 

Even though Sokka’s definitely a people person, he still has his moments of awkwardness that make Zuko even more charmed. His sense of humor is so reminiscent of Uncle’s that it’s almost painful. He’s so full of puns and corny jokes that while some of them are pretty funny, they’re more outweighed by the bad ones. 

That doesn’t stop Zuko from laughing at them, though. 

Aang says he’s whipped and Zuko only has to raise his eyebrow at him to point out the irony of that statement. 

Not only are things looking up for Zuko, but three months after first meeting her, Aang works up the courage to ask Katara out. 

(“Zuko! I did it! I actually did it!” Aang yells one day, running into The Jasmine Dragon.

“What did you do, Aang?” Zuko asks, even though he has a pretty good idea from the smile lighting up Aang’s face. 

“I asked Katara to go on a date with me!” he says practically jumping with joy.

“And I’m guessing from your excitement she said yes,” Zuko teases. Aang either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, rounding the counter to pull Zuko into a tight hug. Zuko allows it, wrapping an arm around him and hugging back

“Yes!” he exclaims.

“So when is it? What are you guys gonna do?”

“We’re going on Saturday. We’re gonna get dinner at that one noodle place and then go to one of those follow along art lessons. It should be really fun.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Zuko agrees, giving Aang a slight squeeze. “I’m proud of you for finally asking her out.” 

Aang positively _beams_ at Zuko, giving him another squeeze before running off, no doubt to tell Uncle as well.

Sokka and Zuko gossip about it the next time they see each other, lamenting how long it took them to go out and how they’re pretty much meant for each other.

Zuko holds back on maybe asking Sokka out on a date, too. _Not yet,_ he tells himself. _Not yet, let me have this for a little longer._ )

Before, Zuko was perfectly content with how his life was going. It may not have been perfect, but it was enough that Zuko didn’t want for anything. 

Now, though, Zuko thinks he’s leaning towards being _happy_ rather than just content. 

____________

It’s full-blown winter now, the semester of school over, and whisps of snow falling from the sky but not yet sticking to the ground. Now that the semester is over, students are returning to their hometowns for winter break. Because of this, business is a little slower at The Jasmine Dragon, their regular customer base of students having dwindled by about half. It’s not terrible, though, a fair amount of their customer base still stays, and some of what they’ve lost is made up by shoppers stopping by for a warm cup of tea. A slower time, but it’s a time Zuko enjoys.

Blue Moon Bakery, on the other hand, is busier than ever. 

Over the months they’ve been opened, Blue Moon Bakery has soared in popularity, making them a hotspot for treats during the holiday months. Katara and Sokka have been forced to hire some part-time workers to help with the workload, though Sokka refuses to let strangers get ahold of his recipes, so the people hired to help in the kitchen have been relegated to washing dishes and decorating. 

(“No way am I letting some random have access to my recipes,” Sokka rages one day when he and Zuko are in the kitchen together. “Who knows what would happen if my recipes fell into the wrong hands.”

“Are you sure you don’t want the help, though? You’ve been really busy, coming in early and staying late, it would help to have a second baker. You wouldn’t be as overwhelmed.”

“Nah,” Sokka says. “All I need is for you to keep bringing me caffeine and your presence and I’ll be golden.”)

Since the bakery gets so busy, both Katara and Sokka both stop coming by The Jasmine Dragon during their free time. Because of this, Aang spends the majority of his shifts pouting and counting down the time until he can clock out and go sit in the bakery waiting for Katara. They’ve been together for a few months now and still haven’t left the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Zuko doubts they ever will. 

Zuko still tries to go see Sokka in the mornings before opening The Jasmine Dragon, forcing himself to get up earlier so he can see Sokka a bit more since he’s no longer coming to the tea shop. Zuko’s also upgraded from bringing Sokka increasingly caffeinated teas to bringing him coffee instead, which Sokka seems immensely grateful for. 

On this particular day, Zuko wakes at four in the morning for his opening shift. He briefly checks the weather app on his phone and groans at how cold it’s supposed to be today. He reluctantly gets out of his nice, warm bed, moving to start getting ready for the day. He contemplates for a moment about what to wear, before deciding to fuck all pretenses of looking presentable and choosing instead to be warm. Zuko pulls on a long-sleeved black shirt, and on top of that, his most well-loved and warmest red hoodie. It’s one that he’s had for years and is _just_ big enough that the sleeves fall past his hands enough to cover them. He leaves his and his Uncle’s small house by four-thirty so he can make it to the next bus stop and be at The Jasmine Dragon by five and open by six. 

The bus takes a little longer today than it does most days, so Zuko makes it to The Jasmine Dragon just before five-thirty and he hurries to prepare to open so he can still see Sokka. Luckily, Aang and Uncle had closed the night before, so everything is pretty much set for this morning. Aang is the nicest closer Zuko has ever met and more prepares for the morning shift rather than just making sure everything is clean and locked up like most closers. Zuko does a quick wipe down of the tables, getting rid of any dust that may have appeared overnight. He gets the teapots down and ready, preparing the more popular tea leaves to be brewed. He opens up the bathrooms, doing a quick sweep and clean. Zuko makes his way into the breakroom, putting his stuff away and heading to the one coffee machine in the whole building. They only have this coffee pot because occasionally Zuko needs more blatant caffeine than tea allows. 

Zuko turns on the coffee machine and pulls down the two reusable travel mugs that he’s been using for his and Sokka’s morning drinks lately. After a second thought, he also pulls out one of the to-go cups, preparing another cup of coffee for the part-timer that’s sure to be working the register when Zuko gets there. Once the coffee is brewed and made, Zuko heads out of the shop, turning off the main light and locking the door behind him. 

Zuko makes his way to Blue Moon Bakery as quickly as he can to escape the cold weather, clutching the warm mugs in his hands. Zuko shoulders his way into the bakery, nodding a greeting to the new worker that’s setting up the front of the house until Katara gets there so Sokka can focus on baking enough to satisfy their growing customer base.

“Hey, Sokka, you in there?” Zuko calls out, handing the teen behind the register his cup of coffee. 

“In the kitchen!” Sokka yells back, and Zuko returns the kids’ smile of thanks before heading into the kitchen. 

When Zuko enters the kitchen, Sokka is elbow deep in kneading some kind of dough. He looks a bit worn out, the hair falling from his tie and into his face, and Zuko’s heart skips a beat just looking at him. 

“Hey,” Zuko says, walking over to him.

“Hey, yourself,” Sokka breathes out, shooting Zuko a grin. But when Sokka looks up from his dough at Zuko, his eyes widen and his jaw drops a little. 

“Everything okay?” Zuko asks, concerned, looking down at himself.

“Yeah, fine,” Sokka says after a moment. “Just tired, I guess.”

Zuko doesn’t fully believe him but lets it go for now. “Why don’t you come take a quick break, I can’t stay for very long today, it’s already almost six. Plus, I’m closing today since Jin’s flight got rescheduled and she couldn’t make it in. So, I’m definitely gonna need more coffee before I actually open.”

“That’s a long shift, you gonna be alright?” Sokka asks, moving to wash his hands before taking the coffee from Zuko. 

“Eh, I’ll be fine. Worse comes to worst I’ll nap in the breakroom once Aang gets there.”

Sokka hums in agreement, “Yeah, you so much as yawn in front of him when he knows you’re pulling a shift like that he’ll force you into the nap himself. What time are you closing?”

“Closing at eight today, so I’ll leave around nine probably. I compromised with Uncle to close the shop an hour early if I’m gonna be there all day. Not like many people come in the last hour anyway.”

“Hm, still a long shift. I’ll send you off with some extra goodies today to get you through it.”

“Extra goodies would be much appreciated. Aang and Uncle always take the stuff you give me before I get the chance to eat it.”

“Well we can’t have that, can we? I’ll give you some stuff I know you like.”

They talk for a few more minutes before Zuko has to leave, and the whole time, Zuko cannot stop noticing how Sokka’s eyes keep roaming Zuko’s torso. This time last year, Zuko would have reacted to someone so blatantly looking at him as an insult, his mind convincing him the person was judging, that there was something wrong with him. 

Now, he lets himself hope that this _means_ something.

Zuko leaves, arms laden with freshly baked goods and a hopeful heart, keeping Sokka’s parting smile and brief hug in his mind.

____________

Sokka is so done for.

When Zuko had come into the bakery this morning, there was no way for him to be prepared for the amount of _adorable and snuggly_ that he’d been met with. 

Sokka knew he’d been staring the whole time they talked, but he couldn’t help it. Zuko’d looked so adorable, snuggled up in his sweater, and taking time out of his morning to come and talk to Sokka. 

Sokka knew he’d been a goner the first time he spoke to Zuko and they hit it off so completely, trusting each other in a way that Sokka hadn’t felt with another person before. Through the months they’ve been spending time together, Sokka felt like the more he got to know Zuko, the harder he fell. 

Zuko might look rough around the edges, and he certainly plays into that around people he doesn’t know, but when it comes to being around people he _does_ know and trust, Zuko’s the softest person Sokka’s ever met. He’s kind and caring, and so protective of his family and friends that it hits Sokka right in the heart whenever he watches Zuko so casually show such deep care. 

So when Zuko shows up to see him at too-fucking-early o’clock in the softest oversized red sweater Sokka’s ever seen, he knows that’s the final straw and he needs to do something about his ‘definitely more than a crush’ crush. 

Sokka waits for Katara to get to the bakery, pulling her aside in the kitchen almost as soon as she’s through the door. 

“I need a favor,” he says without preamble.

“Oh? What’s going on?” she asks.

“I have a plan to ask Zuko out but I need a specific set of circumstances to do it.”

Katara may deny it all she wants because she wants to keep her badass image, but she absolutely squeals with delight. “Oh, my gosh, okay, finally. What do you need and when?”

“I need to be out of here by nine today, preferably a little before in case Zuko finishes closing a little earlier than nine.”

“Today?”

“Today,” Sokka confirms with a firm nod. 

“You’re not really giving me a lot of notice here,” Katara complains, walking over to the corner where they have the schedule binder hanging. 

“Well, it was a spur of the moment plan,” Sokka defends. 

“Alright,” Katara says. “We close at eight today and me and you were set to be the closers. I can call around and see if anyone will want to come in to help us clean up, otherwise I’ll convince Aang to help and you can go get your lover boy.”

“You’re the best, Katara!” Sokka rushes over, pulling her into a tight hug. “You’re the best and I love you so much.” 

“Yeah, you better,” she grumbles, but hugs Sokka back.

By the end of today, Sokka will either have confessed his feelings happily or will have made a complete fool of himself. He hopes it’s the first one. 

____________

Zuko’s day drags on more than it has any right to. The flow of customers is slow due to the cold and people most likely not wanting to leave their houses. Of the people that come in, only some of them are regulars, meaning most of his customers are people he’s never seen before and thus has to be more on guard. By the time Aang shows up around noon, Zuko’s had three cups of coffee and has eaten a fair amount of the pastries Sokka had sent with him. 

Zuko feels comfortable enough in the slow flow of customers to leave Aang on the floor by himself while he goes to take his lunch break and maybe sneak a quick nap in. Aang promises to come get Zuko if he has any trouble with anything, so Zuko heads to the back, happily. He does end up taking a short forty-minute nap and splashes some water on his face before heading back out. When he gets back on the floor, he’s feeling vaguely more human and less tired, so he counts it as a win.

Closing time comes slowly but surely, and Zuko takes a small comfort in the monotony of cleaning up the shop and closing everything down. By the time he’s satisfied and ready to leave, it’s almost nine o’clock, and Zuko has been lulled into a quiet calm by the peacefulness of the night. He leaves through the front door, locking it, and triple-checking his mental list before pocketing the keys, and stuffing his hands in his sweater pocket. He turns toward the road, ready to head to the bus stop, but stops when he hears a call of his name.

“Hey, Zuko!” 

Zuko turns to see Sokka halfway across the parking separating their two businesses, waving at Zuko. Zuko waves back, starting to walk closer, but Sokka jogs over to him, closing the distance between them. 

“You heading home for the night?” Sokka asks, he seems a bit nervous, bouncing on his heels and playing with the keys in his hands, and Zuko, for the life of him, can’t think of why. 

“Yeah, I was just heading to the bus stop,” Zuko answers. 

“It’s pretty cold,” Sokka starts. “If you don’t want to walk to and take the bus, I can give you a ride home?”

“Oh,” Zuko says in surprise, and then his brain short circuits because _being alone in a small car with Sokka, holy shit._

Zuko makes himself focus again when he realizes that Sokka is still talking. “Have you eaten dinner yet?” Sokka asks.

“No, not really,” Zuko says. 

“Maybe, if you want, we could go get dinner? Together? Like a date?” Sokka blurts out quickly, looking at Zuko like he’s afraid.

Zuko’s brain completely shuts off and his jaw drops open in shock. _Holy shit, holy fuck, holy shit. Did he just- Is this even happening? Oh my god, Zuko he’s backtracking, say yes!_

Sokka takes Zuko’s silence as a negative, immediately backtracking, waving his hands and all. “Of course, we don’t have to! Only if you want! I can just drive you home so you’re not walking in the cold, or if you don’t want to be around me after that, I’ll leave you alone. I just, I really like you and I thought you might like me too, but if you don’t obviously that’s my bad--”

“Yes!” Zuko blurts out, anything to get Sokka to stop.

“Yes, what?” Sokka asks quietly. 

“Yes, I like you. A lot. Yes, I want to go on a date with you. Right now, tomorrow, whenever. Yes,” Zuko rushes out. 

“Yes?” Sokka asks again, the most blinding smile that Zuko has ever seen taking over his face. 

“Yes,” Zuko confirms, smiling back at him. 

For a moment, they just look at each other, still smiling and almost giggly, before Sokka snaps out of it, saying, “So, um, do you want to get out of the cold? Maybe get dinner somewhere? And then I’ll drive you home?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Zuko breathes out. Zuko pulls out his phone, sending a quick text to Uncle saying, _Be back late tonight, getting dinner with Sokka._ And then, just because, _LIKE A DATE._

Zuko puts his phone on silent after that and follows Sokka to his car across the parking lot, and his cheeks flush a bright red when Sokka rushes forward to open the door for him. 

They end up getting dinner from a food truck not far from their shopping center. They argue for a moment over who pays, Sokka insisting he pays since it was his idea, while Zuko argues that since Sokka’s driving he’ll pay. 

“How about this,” Sokka offers. “I pay for this date since it was mostly my idea, and you can plan the next date.” Sokka ends it with a wink, and well, how is Zuko supposed to say no to that?

They take the food and eat in Sokka’s car, parked beside the food truck. Zuko is worried for a moment that they’ll be stifled in awkwardness, but then Sokka cracks a terrible joke, and Zuko laughs, and everything is normal. They sit in Sokka’s car, eating their food, and talking like they normally would, and everything just feels _right._

They must sit there and talk for at least a few hours before Sokka finally puts the car in drive and follows the directions Zuko is giving him for his and his Uncle’s place. When they pull up, Sokka puts the car in park, and they sit for a few moments more.

“You know,” Sokka says. “I think I’ve liked you for a really long time. When I first saw you, I thought you were the prettiest person I’ve ever seen, and then we actually talked and got to know each other, and I knew I was a goner the first time you came to the bakery.”

“Really?” Zuko asks, a little shocked. “That’s pretty much how it went for me, too. You walked into The Jasmine Dragon that first day, and I swear I stopped breathing, you were so pretty. I talked myself out of going to see you for a long time before I finally went. And then, it felt like we just _clicked._ I’ve never felt like that with someone before.” 

For a moment, they sit in silence, looking into each other’s eyes, when one of them, or maybe both of them, starts leaning forward. 

The moment is broken when Sokka suddenly pulls back with a startled laugh. 

“What?” Zuko asks, shocked. “What happened?”

“Your uncle just peaked through the curtains,” Sokka says, still laughing softly. 

Zuko sighs, “I guess I’d better go in, then.”

“I guess,” Sokka says. 

Zuko has one hand on the door, ready to leave, before he makes a split-second decision. 

He turns back to Sokka, says, “I’ll see you soon. And text me when you get home safe.”

“I will,” Sokka says immediately. “And, yes, I’ll see you soon.”

And then, before Zuko can talk himself out of it, Zuko leans forward quickly, pressing a quick kiss to Sokka’s cheek. 

“Bye!” Zuko says breathlessly, opening the door and exiting the car. He’s walking up the walkway when he here’s Sokka’s yelled “Bye!” through the rolled down the passenger window. Zuko turns back one last time, a huge smile on his face, and waves to Sokka as he unlocks the door. 

Zuko enters the house, leaning against the closed door, unable to control the wide smile taking over his face. He spots Uncle, sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, as if he wasn’t just watching them through the window.

“How was your date, nephew?” he says casually.

Zuko sighs, and even he can admit it’s slightly dreamy. He takes a seat next to Uncle, leaning on his shoulder. “It was great,” he says. “Really great.”

Before he met Sokka, Zuko was content in his simple life. After they became friends, Zuko could be pressed to say he was getting happier. 

Now, Zuko knows he’s going to be very happy with his life. 

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some links for the various crises happening in the world, and don't forget to wear a mask and vote!
> 
> Black Lives Matter petitions, donations, and other resources [here](https://t.co/ScNVY4VxD2?amp=1)  
> If you can’t donate, [here’s](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlhfJSrlPNthnoD1XFDHzmdf6Mpt2pe-2&feature=share) a youtube playlist where all the proceeds from the videos are being donated to BLM charities  
> Yemen Crisis Links [here](https://yemencrisis.carrd.co/)  
> COVID-19 and others (US specific): [here](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/news/covid-19-resources-services-support)
> 
> [Here’s](https://rejectscanon.tumblr.com/) my tumblr if you want ot peruse and enjoy
> 
> I put it in the beginning notes, but I'm gonna put it here, too. This lovely person made a fanart piece of Zuko in his oversized sweater, it's so adorable [look at it here!!](https://www.instagram.com/p/CEVUe2mlvl1/)


End file.
